Artificial bait



May 15; 192s. f 1,610,174

` H. P. WIERSMA ARTIFICIAL BAIT Filed Jan-.18,1927

ATTORNEY Patented May l5, 1928.

4U'Nrrlan stares -7 mam ,HENRY r. wiERsivrA, or` ZEELAND, MICHIGAN.

i AnrrrrcrALV Barr'.

Application led January 18, 1927. `Serial No. 161,881.A

hook or hooks vwill slide back into housedi position within the bait. iAnother object is to so mount a hook withinthe bait and connect it withthe line in such a manner that should the body ot' the bait be crushedorbroken bythe grasp of the fish a direct holdf on the hook would stillbe retained enabling the fish to be taken. Still another Objectis to soconstruct 'a bait of this character that the resistance of the spring,which is employed to withdraw the hook into the body of the bait, willbe exerted in a direction opposite to the tension of the line.

Another object is to constructy such, a bait so that no springs arerequired for projecting the hook but when the bait is struck by a sh thehook will slide out under the tension of the line.

In carrying out these objects, the inventionv is susceptible oi a widerange of modification without departing from the spirit or sacrificingany of the advantages of the claimed invention; there being shown in thedrawings for illustrative purposes certain 'preferred and practicalforms, in which Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a baitembodying this invention made in the form of a small sh and employingtwo f hooks; the hooks being shown projected,

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof with the hooks shown housed and theinterior illustrated in dotted lines. i

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section thereof showing the hook in retractedposition;

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the hook projected in full lines andhoused iny Figure 7 is a detail perspective view showspring and line.

in the embodiment. illustrated the bait is .f

shown inthe form oi' a smallviiish,`although obviously it maybe of anyother desired configuration; i formed of two sections 2k and 3 connectedin anysuitable manner and cut away on their ing the connection of thehooks i 6() i Thisl hait comprises" al body y1 inner faces near oneend-to provide hook receiving chambers4 and 5y which open through theupper andlower edges of the ybody to provide for the projection andretractionpof the hooks 10 and 11 which when projected y Y face toward.the head of the bait as-sh'own in Fig. 1.

The Shanks 12 ofthese hoolrsare Curved longitudine-Hr (See` Fig. etnasich has an eye 13 at its outer end connected in a. manner presently'tobe described;y vr`llhe chambers 4 and 5 in which theba'rbed p0r-ytionsotthe hooks are mounted', are separated '7 by a thin metalpartition 6 to avoid entanglef ment of the hooks and ensure theiroperating in their proper slots. The other end or head portion of thebait is also recessed to' form a chamber 7 between which and chambers 4and 5 is a cam member 8 over which'` the barbed portion of the hooks aredesigned to ride when the Shanks of the hooks are moved forward under apull exerted on the line incident tothe striking of the bait by a fishas shown in Fig. 4. This' riding of the hooks on the cam causes theirbarbed portions to i y be projected for impaling the iish.

A chamber 9 extends longitudinally of the bait in rear of chamber 7communicating with the latter and in which is mountedY a coiled spring2O secured at one end as shown at 21 to the bait body and at its otherend 22 is connected with the eyes 13 of Athe twof hooks 10 and 11 andalso withan eye 24 of a lead line 23 which forms a connector'between thebody. c v

' It will be obvious that the coiled spring exerts its tension in adirection opposite to the tension of the line and -operates to move thehooks longitudinally rearward into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3,the pin guiding them when so moving.v

for the hooks in their passage in and out of In the use of this baitwhen it isv drawn through the'water by casting or trolling and is struckby a ish the hooks slide naturally out ofthe body rowing to the pullon'the line and the riding of the hooksioverthe .cam 8; Should the sh bea large, one and crush the bait with its jaws control of the fish'willlstill be had in view of the fact that the' line is connected with theeyes ofthe'hooks and unless the line breaks. the sh will be held. Theconnection of the two hooks'with the spring 2O andwith the line andtheir mounti ing' in the oppositely opening chambers 4 and will allowthe hoolslto slide out in opposite directions at the same' timefandthus'ensure impaling. of 'the 'sh by atleast one of them. u j n Whilethis bait maybe used for still fishingorltrolli'ngit is particularlydesigned for casting` and when the bait is cast if the tensionl oftheline should be sufficient to cause thehooks-'to move outward theywill' slideback underthetension of the springQO when the bait lights on'the water owing'to the reactionwhich occurs at this time.

Without l furtherv description it is' thought thatithefeatures andadvantages of the invention ywill be readilyapparent to ythose skilledinthe art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form,proportiony and minor details ofconstru'ction may vbe resorted'to,without departing from the spirit ofv the invention or its scope asclaimed.

I claim j l. An artificial bait including a body havinga slot thereinand an axial opening communicating with saidslot, a hook slidable insaid `body and adapted to move` outwardly through said slot, ay camforming a par-tof said lbody and located. in the path of, said hook toproject itl through said slot when the hookmoves in one direction,means` for mov.-

ing itin the'opposite direction and retracting f it into said body,` andalead line extending through said axial opening and attached directlytosaidhook.

2. An artificial' bait having slots therein, hooks housedin said slots,ya coiled spring attached atone end to said hooks and at its other endvto "said body, `means `for projecting said hooks through saidr j cslots, and a lead line attached to the hook a. bedy 'with y

